Been There Before
by Meredith Trainor
Summary: Alice Kingsley is shipwrecked on a deserted island, and goes tumbling down another rabbit-hole.  Once back in Underland, it is up to her friends to find her before a darker force takes hold of Alice.  Hatter/Alice later.
1. Chapter 1

Working Title: Been There Before

Summary: Alice is shipwrecked on a deserted island, and goes tumbling down another rabbit-hole. Once back in Underland, it is up to her friends to find her and tell her who she is before a darker force takes hold of her.

Chapter One

It was the worst storm twenty-year-old Alice Kingsley had seen since she'd been sailing with the Company. And after half a dozen round-trip voyages from Europe to China, that was saying something.

The fair-haired Englishwoman wished she could do something other than wait under the deck, but the Captain had absolutely insisted she stay under. She could hear the crack of lightning, and then the splintering of wood. _That's not good._ The last thing she felt was a sharp blow to her forehead, and then the world faded to blackness as she crumpled to the cabin floor.

When Alice awoke, she was stranded in the middle of ocean, floating atop a small bit of wood, no ship in sight. She did a quick check of her faculties, found herself all in one piece, and decided to see what was around. Sure enough, just like in the storybooks, there was an island, seemingly uninhabited, and from her best guess (which, admittedly, wasn't very good), it was less than a quarter-mile's swim away.

"There don't seem to be any sharks up and about," she said to herself, searching the waters for the telltale fins. "I suppose I shall have to swim for it." And so she did. It was very liberating, after months on a stuffy ship, to be able to stretch her muscles in the cooling saltwater, and she cut swiftly through the waves. Soon she had reached solid ground, and boy did it feel good after all that time at sea! Not far from the sands she stood atop was a dense forest, with trees she could not recognize and no sign of snakes or bears.

"Well, it seems to be mid-day, so I can't risk staying and burning alive on the beach," she reasoned with herself. "I should go into the wood and see what water can be found." And with that happy prospect, the brave young lady entered the wood. It felt cool and comfortable under the shade after being in the sun for so long, and Alice was pleasantly surprised to find a small brook with freshwater not four hundred meters away. She stooped to drink from it, and a small creature caught her eye.

"Curious! I didn't think rabbits lived on islands. Are you a strange, ancient species of rabbit, perhaps? You're not altogether white, you know…" She mused, standing again and unconsciously stepping toward it. "I've followed a rabbit twice before, but he looked so much different from you. For one thing, you've got tiny spectacle-markings around your eyes, and he had none. For another, your ears are a bit shorter and you've got a considerably fluffier coat. I suppose you haven't anyone to groom it for you out in these wild lands, have you?" The rabbit paused, as though listening to her chatter, and then hopped away, as though bored. She followed it to a tree that was taller that all the others around it. It was something like a pine tree, but its needles smelled of like chamomile tea. Alice was beginning to feel quite drowsy as she knelt to see where the rabbit had run off to. The dim shadows under the tree began to sway before her eyes, and she felt herself falling, falling, falling - - .

"Now, this is an odd feeling!" she exclaimed. "I'm falling, but the roots just seem to go on, and on, so that I might fall out of the Earth altogether and come out at the bottom! But since I'm so close to Asia, I wonder if that would put me back in England again? Or, oh dear, what if I should end up somewhere they speak Dutch, or German, or some other language I don't know? I should be terribly lost indeed." And with that unhappy thought, Alice looked to each side for some distraction. She spied a bookshelf and grabbed a book. "Ugh, it's a book of geometric principles. I've always abhorred mathematics." She quickly deposited it on a nearby table. "I wonder if there's anything to eat – " As if to answer her, a small tray quickly surfaced and she caught hold of it. "Fresh raspberries! And blackberries, and even strawberries, oh my!" For someone who'd been on ship's rations for more than two months, this was heaven. She started to eat, and in a trice, they were gone. "I wonder if I died in the shipwreck, and this is heaven… But I daresay there is no geometry in heaven, or I shan't want to go there. And I would hope heaven is a bit more sturdy than this, which keeps tumbling forever and ever—" As if to prove her wrong, the tunnel suddenly came to a halt, and Alice landed in a soft, squishy bed.

"Oh, I could just take a nap right here!" She remarked. "But this might belong to someone, and how rude it would be of me to sleep in another's bed, particularly without their permission!" And with that, she leapt up and looked about her. There wasn't much in the tiny room, but there were oh-so-many doors leading out of it! Some were very tall and wide, and some were ordinary, and one seemed to be fit for a mouse, it was so small, but they were all oak with the same iron doorknob and a keyhole that was somehow the same size. Alice had the strangest feeling, as though she'd been here before.

"But that's ridiculous," she chided herself. "I've never been to this island before, and I certainly haven't fallen down such a long tunnel before!" She caught herself. "Or have I? Maybe in one of my dreams…" She shook her head as if to chase away these thoughts. "Stay in the present, Alice! What to do in the here and now? Where might I find the key?" She looked about quickly for some sign of it, and spied a glass table that held the tiniest golden key. "Perfect! I wonder to which door it belongs." And soon enough she had tried it in almost all of the doors, even the biggest one she had to stand on a chair to get to. "Well, that just leaves the mouse-door, and what good does that do me?" She was about to throw it back on the table when she saw something that hadn't been there previously: a small bottle marked "Drink Me".

"Well, that's odd," she said, startled. "I wonder what's to be had here… and if its owner would mind if I tasted a small bit…" She did so, and the most bizarre thing happened – Alice shrunk! She was soon no taller than the chair!

"But still not enough to get through the door," she scowled. "I'll have just a smidge more." And then she was just the right size to get through it. Congratulating herself, she strode to it and put the key in the keyhole. "It has to work!" It did. Pleased, Alice turned around for one last look at the room and noticed another thing that had not previously been there: a small box lying on the floor.

"Perhaps it was so tiny I couldn't see it from my former size," she guessed, going back to retrieve it. It was a pretty little box that contained a delicious looking cake marked "Eat me".

"Well, I can guess what you do!" She cried. "If the drink marked "Drink me" makes one grow smaller, I expect your job is to make one grow taller!" And with that, she pocketed it and left the room through the tiny door.

When Alice shut the door behind her, a cold wind swept over her bare arms, chilling her to the bone. "Oh goodness, it's frightfully cold here," she said, her teeth chattering.

"That's a matter of opinion," a strangely familiar voice replied. She looked all 'round her, but could not find its owner. Finally, a cat popped out of midair. "For you see, if you had fur like me, you'd feel nice and breezy. With just your skin, of course it's cold!"

"I see," she said hesitantly. "And who, might I ask, are you?"

The Cat stared at her blankly. "I'm disappointed in you, Alice. I thought for sure you'd remember meeeeee…" He trailed off. "But if you've lost it again, I won't help you find it! That is something you've got to do for yourself…"

"How do you know my name?"

"We've met before," he answered. "And that's all I'll say on the subject. Oh, but how Underland has changed since then! Those were the happiest of times. And now, a new threat to our peace has emerged – but I guess you'll find out about that sooner than later." Her head absolutely swimming, Alice laid a hand on the Cat, partly to make sure he was real, and partly to steady herself.

"Come now, Alice, let's be off. We'll get you someplace safe and warm. Come, young hero, it is time to return to court!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It was a castle unlike any other Alice had seen (or was it? There was a sneaking suspicion growing in her mind that she had in fact been to this bizarre place before…) Certainly the Cat seemed to know her, and when they entered the enormous hall, all manner of people bowed and greeted her.

"Good to see you again, Alice!"

"Greetings, fair hero!"

"So good to have you back, dear!"

"Welcome back, Alice!"

She smiled nervously back at them. It was so very odd not to remember any of them, but she trusted that since they were so friendly, they meant her no harm, especially not the lovely lady in the white gown that was rushing daintily toward her. Judging by the crown on her forehead, she was a Queen.

"Your Majesty," Alice curtseyed.

"Nonsense!" The Queen chided. "Get up, Alice; you bow to no one!" She raised her voice. "We'll set a banquet and feast tonight, for our champion has returned!" There was a great cheer throughout the hall. Alice blushed tremendously.

"Thank you most kindly, your Majesty. But if you would be so kind as to tell me, I seem to have forgotten you. That is to say, I don't recall us ever meeting before this." The Queen looked startled for a moment.

"My dear Alice, it would appear you've lost your memory again. That is indeed heart-breaking, but I think you'll get it back in time. Perhaps once you've become re-acclimated to life here in Underland, you'll see that –" But she was cut off by a loud shout.

"ALICE!"

Suddenly, a blur came rushing toward them, and Alice was swept off her feet and swung about. It was a long while before her assailant let go, and when he did, Alice saw a red-haired man in an enormous top hat.

"Say," Alice almost whispered. "I remember you…" It was a faint blur, but she remembered something of him. "You're Tarrant, aren't you?"

"Indeed," he said, beaming at her. "I knew you'd remember me. I hoped you'd remember me. I prayed you would! And so she did," he said to the Queen. "Does she remember anything else?"

"Hardly."

"I remember you, and that's enough for the moment," Alice said comfortably. She did wish he would pull her close again; it had been a long time since she'd seen the beloved Hatter.

"I thought about you all the time when you were gone!" He exclaimed, taking her arm as the Queen bade them to go, for Alice needed rest. "I kept wishing and wishing you'd come back soon, and here you are! Oh Alice, it's been a rough couple of years without you."

"Yes, the Cat said something about – Wait!" Alice snapped her fingers and turned to grasp the Hatter's other arm. "He's the Cheshire Cat! And he saved your life once!"

"Yes, he did," the Hatter smiled. "You see, you'll have it all back eventually." His smiled faded as he continued, "I'm afraid Underland is very different from what you'll remember, though."

"Why, Hatter? What's gone wrong?"

He halted suddenly and knelt before her. His shoulders were shaking, and she flung her arms around him to hold him together.

"Alice," he whispered into her ear. "Darkness is spreading over Underland."

"Darkness? Of what sort?" She asked, her brow furrowing with a morbid curiosity.

"I'm not sure I'm the right person to explain it – Maliumpkin!" Tarrant exclaimed as a small figure dashed up to meet them. As she drew closer, Alice saw a tiny mouse in a waistcoat and Army pants, a miniature sword drawn about her belt.

"'Ello, Alice!" Maliumpkin prattled cheerily. "Good to have you back at long last!"

"Hello, little friend," Alice said, sitting on her heels so that she might freely converse with the small creature.

"Perhaps you would be a better one to explain our grave dilemma to Alice, here," the Hatter began, "Since you've been on the front lines and seen the monsters yourself."

"I certainly have!" the brave little mouse replied. "Alice, you've returned in the nick of time, you have. Why, just the other day, Bayard and I was scouting out the lands near Thistleton, when we were set upon by two statues."

"Did I hear that correctly?" Alice puzzled. "How were you set upon by… statues?"

"These aren't just any statues, Mum," Maliumpkin shook her head furiously. "They's dark and sinister creatures what only answer to one person: the Prince of Darkness."

"So that's what you meant by 'darkness is spreading'," Alice mused, taking the Hatter's white hand in her own. "And that's why it felt so dark and cold when I first met Cheshire on the edge of the wood."

"Exactly so," her friend answered.

"But what can I do about it?" she cried. "I cannot change the weather; I'm no magician!"

"Do you mean to tell me you haven't told her of the prophecy?" Maliumpkin chided Tarrant.

"I was waiting for a suitable occasion!"

"Well," began the mouse. "It goes like this, Alice." The little soldier took a deep breath in, and stopped. "Suddenly I canna' remember it. It's the strangest thing, as though it just flew out of my mind."

"Well, maybe she ought to hear from the one who made the prophecy," the Hatter kindly suggested.

"Oh yes, that sounds like a plan," Maliumpkin chattered. "Has she been back to see Absulum since her return?" As Alice stared blankly at her, the mouse continued. "I'll take that as a no."

"We'll start out immediately!" The Hatter said brightly, taking Alice's arm. "An adventure, just like old times! I'm positively giddy with excitement." And he sure looked it.

"Wait, Tarrant," Alice said, squeezing his arm near the shoulder. "The Queen had declared a banquet tonight to celebrate my return. I should think she'd be rather disappointed if we were not there to attend." His face fell.

"Why, there's some truth in that," Maliumpkin added sullenly.

"Fine, fine; we'll go to the feast," the Hatter conceded.

"And in return for your patience," Alice said in an appeasing tone, "I'd be most honored to let you escort me to the festivities tonight." His smile stretched from ear to ear.

The Queen had outdone herself. Not since Alice vanquished the Jabberwocky had there been such a celebration. The decorations were glamorous without being ostentatious: there were golden streamers and ice sculptures that told the story of Alice's victory, and a beautiful Christmas tree stood at the entrance way, gleaming with many gems set to resemble ice on the branches. The food itself was sumptuous, with all kinds of pies, tarts, fruit trays, sweetmeats, and an array of steaming entrees. The cook had excelled in her profession, and she knew it – she had come out of the kitchen to stand proudly over the table, daring anyone to approach without a thousand compliments.

"Why, this is absolutely amazing!" Alice said breathlessly. She had changed into a dress laid out for her by the Queen herself, and it was truly a thing of beauty. A sky-blue that brought out the color of her eyes, the dress fell to just below her knees and shimmered in the light of the many chandeliers that illuminated the hall. The Hatter had donned a sharp tuxedo of two tails and a new hat, a simple top hat with a dash of ribbon that matched Alice's dress perfectly (_How _did_ he manage it?_ She wondered.)

"My dear, you look absolutely spectacular," her escort said, twirling her around with a flick of his wrist. She laughed lightly and only stopped when she saw the Queen approaching.

"Your Majesty," Alice greeted her while the Hatter bowed low. "I must congratulate you on this wonderful banquet; everything looks so perfect!"

"Why, thank you, my dear," the Queen replied in her airy, ethereal way. "It is only fitting to honor the one who has saved us and come to our aid once more."

"On that note," Alice pressed her advantage. "I wanted to ask your permission to go forth tomorrow and see Absulum. He was receiver to a prophecy that pertains to me, and I want to learn all he knows, if it please you." She tacked on this last bit so as not to sound too demanding.

The Queen frowned, but then her face returned to its placid state. "If that is what you wish, then I will deny our champion nothing." As she turned away, she added lightly, "See that you are back in two days' time, so that I won't worry too much about you." And as Alice promised she would, the Queen glided off to greet her many admirers.

"Well I'm not sure how you managed that, but I'm surely glad you did," the Hatter said with no small amount of appreciation. "I thought for sure she'd want to keep you close until the Marjulan Day."

"The what day?"

"The Marjulan Day," his voice adopted a whispering quality. "The Oraculum, before it was lost, told of a day not long from now when you would have to – " His voice broke, "To save us all."

"Hatter," Alice begun to say, "is there something you're not –"

"Ah, but the dance is beginning!" He dragged her onto the floor and for the rest of the evening kept her on her toes. They danced all manner of dances; Tarrant even taught her how to Flutterwhacken, and it was the first time in a long time that Alice really enjoyed a party.

Later on that night, they went outside and talked under the stars. The Hatter told her all the good things that had happened since she had left, and punctuated every paragraph with, "But we all missed you so much." Alice got the feeling that by "we", Tarrant wanted to say "I".

"I missed you, too," she said sleepily, laying her head on his shoulder. She must have drifted off to sleep, for she had the faintest memory of him taking her in his arms and carrying her inside to her quarters. It was like being home again.


End file.
